Team 7 Senseis
by Yellowbeans
Summary: Set about six years in the future, Sasuke got his sorry butt dragged back, and together, Team 7 takes on their newest challenge: training their own genin! Huzza! A fun read, and my first posted Naruto fic. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: Well, here we go, my first posted Naruto fanfic. So, *claps* the scene: in some uber cool jonin lunch-place-thing -.-'. Anyway, the story takes place about six years from the current Shippuden series. Some how Naruto and Sakura dragged Sasuke back to Konoha ((I know that he is being really jerkish, and the way things are going he probably won't, but he has to! He just makes the other two so damn happy! And I adore the relationship he and Naruto have)), and have just become senseis of their own genin teams. No sensei parings (ex. Sasusaku, Narusaku), and yes, there are OCs, but I promise it'll be a fun read! *puppy dog eyes* I am always open to critiques, and please warn me if I've got characters on the edge of mary-sue-dom. Enjoy!)

Naruto flopped down at the cafeteria table, his tray making a loud clanking noise as he nearly threw it onto the surface.

"Hard morning?" his pink haired companion looked up from her bowl with amused green orbs.

"Remind me again why I decided to stop being an ANBU member to teach genin?" he began stabbing his steak violently.

"What did the steak do to you?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"I'm pretending it's Iruka-sensei," he replied.

"Why Iruka?"

"He assigned the teams," was his simple response. "How's your squad coming along?"

"Well . . . they kind of remind me of Shika-Ino-Chou, the terrible trio."

"But they always did focus on teamwork when it came down to it, didn't they?"

"Yeah," Sakura stared fondly at something in the distance. "They pulled together under pressure, but not so much without it."

Naruto nodded as she spoke, leaning his head over his lunch as he began eating. "I swear, all three of mine are all card carrying members of the FSK," he laughed at his own joke.

"FSK?" Sakura inquired with a cocked eyebrow.

"Future Sasukes of Konoha." he replied.

Sakura couldn't help but utter a giggle.

"Is there something wrong with that, teme?" Naruto heard a deep voice ask from behind him. He turned around in his seat to see the Uchiha nonchalantly balancing his orange lunch tray on one hand, looking down at Naruto from the bridge of his nose.

Naruto cracked a grin and kicked out the chair next to him, indicating the raven should be seated. "You know it, teme!"

Sasuke gave a crooked grin and dropped his tray on the table, taking the seat next to his friend. "Sakura," he nodded to her.

"So, have you done the bell training yet?" she asked conversationally.

Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a glance. "The what?" Naruto asked. Sakura nearly choked on her lunch.

After she had regained her breath, she shouted, "the bell training!"

Her disbelief was met by blank stares, one onyx, on cerulean. She brought her palm to her forehead with a smack. "I _cannot_ believe you two," she muttered, then looked back up at them, the red mark of her palm began fading from her fore head. "You honestly couldn't have forgotten the bell training, could you?"

"Sakura, it's obvious that we have, so would you just tell us what in Tsunade's name you're talking about?" Sasuke asked, his voice fringed with his usual sarcastic tone.

Sakura's hand disappeared beneath the table for a moment, and returned with two small silver bells dangling on the ends of bright red string. "Kakashi-sensei's first training exercise with us?"

"Oh," Sasuke sat back in his chair, a small smile drawing up the corner of his mouth as recognition blessed him with its presence. "I remember."

"I don't!" Naruto said, distressed.

Sakura dropped her head in exasperation. "I bet you can remember what kind of ramen you ate four hundred thirty two days ago, though, can't you?"

" . . . Maybe . . ."

Sakura sighed and looked to the heavens. "_You _ended up tied to a post, baka."

Naruto's eyes lifted of their heavy confusion. "Oh yeah!" he laughed.

"What are you laughing about? You completely and utterly failed," Sasuke said.

"I was thinking . . . " Naruto didn't finish the sentence.

Once again, realization was all too kind. "The second time?" he asked quietly.

" . . . Yeah," Naruto didn't look at Sasuke as he answered.

Sakura shook her head. "Would both of you get over your overly-dramatic selves? You're both here and fine now, and you've got genin teams to worry about!"

Small smiles crawled over the lips of the two men, and they exchanged sly glances. "Bell training tomorrow?" Naruto asked.

"Four bells, six genin?"

"You know it! Sakura-chan, interested in spectating?"

"Big word for you," Sasuke noted. Naruto ignored him and looked to the pink-haired jonin with eagerness.

She bit her lip in pondering. "My team . . . I guess since they succeeded, I can give them a break, so sure, I'll watch."

"Bring your team, they can provoke our teams, try and get in their heads and stuff!"

She nodded. "We'll be there tomorrow, seventh training ground?"

"Are there any others?" Naruto scoffed.

"See you then!" She picked disposed of her empty tray and left Naruto and Sasuke to develop their demonic plot for the next training session.


	2. Chapter 2

"Think we ought to get going now?" Naruto spoke into his earpiece.

"Hell no, we'd only be five minutes late! Give them at least fifteen more," Sasuke's reply crackled in his ear.

"But I'm bored! Why do we have to make sure we're late? It was always annoying when Kakashi-sensei was," Naruto huffed.

"Think about it, baka, it made us angrier, more likely to pass. Or at least, that's the way I thought about it. Hopefully our teams are short on patience," Naruto felt a rush of wind pass over him briefly as Sasuke appeared on the same branch as him. Naruto glanced out of the peephole of leaves at the six assembled genin waiting on the southern bridge.

"Thinking back on it, Kakashi was a great teacher," Sasuke mused aloud.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Though sometimes I wonder how in Kami's name he put up with the three of us."

Sasuke released a light huff of laughter. "Yeah, that man's patience was something else."

"Would you quit talking about me like I'm dead?" came a deep voice from behind them.

The two jonin did not turn around. "Ha, Naruto, I won," Sasuke said.

Naruto grumbled, stalling as he tried to figure a way out of the bet.

"Won what?" Kakashi asked, taking a seat on the branch nearest them.

"We bet on when you'd come out of hiding. Sasuke guessed three minutes, twenty seven seconds, and was spot on, I said three minutes sixteen seconds," Naruto growled.

Kakashi released a sigh. "I've lost my element of surprise?"

"That's what happens when you turn thirty-six and have spent eight years with your students. Not to mention you're practically a geezer," Naruto kidded.

"Or maybe it's because I spend too much time around you two. Shinobi-" Kakashi began, but was cut off in mid sentence by his former students speaking in monotone unison.

"Should always know the most about their opponent, and never reveal anything about themselves. Shinobi, even as lovers, should keep some secrets." The boyish jonins cracked smiles as they finished their instructor's lecture.

"You really need some friends, Kakashi-sensei, we know you too well," Naruto smirked good-naturedly.

"Too bad for you boys I know you all too well, too," came an ominous, evil, spine-shivering voice from behind them. They twisted the necks around to see a particularly intimidating Haruno Sakura with her arms folded across her chest, dangerous shadow covering her eyes.

"AAAIEE!" came the multiple cries as she whacked them each on the head in one swipe, strong enough to send the three jonin to the forest floor before they could understand what happened.

"IDIOTS! WE'D BEEN WAITING FOR TWENTY MINUTES ALREADY!" she shook them by their collars.

"Alright, alright!" Naruto held up his hands in defense. "We'll go, we'll go!"

As the three male jonins trudged over the bridge, Sakura chanting "three little idiots, sitting in a tree F-A-I-L-I-N-G," as they went, they exchanged suffering glances.

"You're late, Naruto-sensei," one of three students, Naruto's students, who was poised coolly, nonchalantly against the scarlet painted wood, made no effort to call. Naruto smiled to himself. Two weeks in and Yamizaki Seiya, Mataki Kumori, and Yamashita Hideki really had established themselves as Sasuke-type genin.

"I'm here now, aren't I Seiya?" Naruto rebuttled. The dark haired genin did not reply, instead, he glared at something on the ground.

"Sasuke-sensei!" Naruto turned his head slightly to see a dark haired kunoichi-in-training waving feverishly, joyfully as she saw her sensei approaching.

"Oi, Ayami!" Sasuke called back to his student. _Hyuuga Ayami?_ Naruto thought to himself. _Sasuke landed himself a Hyuuga?_

"Why don't my students get excited to see me?" Naruto complained to his self-satisfied looking companion.

"You weren't kidding when you said they were a bunch of Sasukes, were you?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke glared at his teacher, but it melted into an amused smirk. "So they're all incredibly talented, handsome prodigies?"

"I was thinking the more like arrogant, overconfident, stick-up-my-ass, types," Naruto returned his smirk with a mocking one of his own.

"Very funny-" Sasuke began, but Kakashi cut them both off.

"Don't argue in front of your pupils," the silver-haired sensei chastised his former students.

They looked down at their feet. "Sorry Kakashi," they muttered in unison, just before reaching their own pupils.

"Sensei!" the energetic Hyuuga's eyes twinkled with excitement. "Is it true that we're fighting you today?"

Sasuke gave a rare genuine, almost paternal smile. _Aie! Sasuke must really be fond of this student!_ Naruto thought. Sasuke's glance found Naruto's, and the smile disappeared. "In a way, you'll see once we get to training ground three," he said. "Let's go, we're already running late."

"I bet it's all Naruto-sensei's fault," the silvery-blond haired Kumari growled.

Naruto shot her a glare. "Treat your sensei with respect."

She snorted at this remark.

"While I agree that things usually are Naruto's fault," Sakura spoke from behind them. "In this case, we must blame a different sensei for this habit," she shot a glance at Kakashi who hid behind an old copy of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Thank you, I think, Sakura-chan," Naruto was slightly confused by his friend's words. "Anyway, let's go," he waved as he turned around, the entire group following him.

"So, you're training a Hyuuga?" Naruto asked Sasuke as the students were busy socializing or, in Naruto's students case, freezing out the rest of the world.

"Yeah, she's got some real talent. My other two are Nishi Katsu and Kou Raito, Katsu is taijutsu type, amazing potential, but I've yet to see an inkling of dedication, where as Raito is genjutsu, has great potential, and is very dedicated, just a little klutzy," Sasuke explained his team's dynamics to Naruto.

"Seiya, Hideki, and Kumari really are a lot like you were, they've nailed every challenge I've presented them with." He frowned. "Something about Kumari . . ."

"What?"

"I can't tell, in the middle of a fight she gives off this aura, I've never heard of or experienced it. Do you know anything about the Mataki clan? Any kekkei genkais?" He turned inquisitively to his raven-haired friend.

Sasuke's brow knit in thought. "No, I haven't," was his reply, meeting the blond's gaze.

"Hn, well, I'll find out eventually."


	3. Chapter 3

"Ready? Go!" Naruto shouted as the six genin dispersed immediately.

"Well, they have more sense than you, Naruto," Kakashi said from his relaxed pose against a tree. Sakura resting on the tree nearest him giggled, her three genin watching intently as they sat by her feet.

Naruto didn't respond. He doubted he needed the concentration to defeat the students, but had he responded, he was sure Kakashi would have reprimanded him for loosing focus.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" he crossed his index-and-middle-fingers as he created a clone of himself. Beside him, Sasuke silently began manipulating his fingers so quickly Naruto couldn't tell what seal he was creating, though he had a guess. His suspicions were confirmed as the Uchiha brought his fingers to his mouth, ready for a genin to come out of anywhere.

As if on cue, the slightest rustling of leaves came from the right, and Sasuke released a massive wave of fire. The shout of Raito met their ears with a piercing undertone. "Are you trying to kill me, sensei?"

Sasuke smirked as he saw the slightly singed student emerge from the flaming woods. "You're not trying hard enough, Raito, we've had five sessions already, this shouldn't be so easy."

"_Only_ five sessions! That's not enou-" he was cut off as a hand reached up from the ground.

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!" Naruto replaced himself in the earth with Sasuke's genin.

Raito had no idea what had happened for the first few moments, until he began struggling in the earth's grasp.

"Sasuke, didn't you teach them not to fall for that one?" Naruto smirked at his friend.

"I figured I'd let them find out for themselves," Sasuke replied. "Naruto, move!" He shouted suddenly, though no one caught the faint smile on his lips as he shouted.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up to see three speeding shuriken rapidly coming for him. The blades planted themselves firmly into Naruto's side, knocking him to the ground. From a near by tree came a celebratory rusting of leaves, followed by a shriek as a Kumari was thrust out into the clearing.

The Naruto on the ground disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a log with three shuriken imbedded in it, and the real Naruto came out behind his pupil, beaming.

"Nice try, Kumari, but I don't drop my guard that easily," he said slightly snidely.

"Futon: Daitoppa," she released a gust of wind, but Naruto focused his chakra in the tips of his left hand as he grabbed the ground, and blocked his face with his right.

"Not happening," he brought a spin kick around as she picked herself up into a crouch on all fours, pulling her arms out from under her. Her chin collided with the ground and she glared at him through her fine, silky, hair that had toppled over her eyes when she fell.

"Oi, Naruto!" he heard Sasuke call, Naruto lifted his gaze to see his fellow jonin surrounded by five genin, and looking completely at loss for what to do.

"Hn," he smirked. "Release!" The image disappeared, and he looked back down at Kumari. "You just don't give up, do you? Well, at least I've got some proof that you actually care about being a ninja. Now, if you'll excuse me," he clenched his fist and Kumari's hands pulled together. "I never was all that great with this stuff in training," he noted, fingering the near invisible string. "But even so, never put it out of your mind." He drew up chakra in his hand, and pushed down into the earth, released the strings, and retracted his hand, leaving the strings buried in a good six inches.

Kumari continued to glare at him.

"Well, I'm off, come calling once you've gotten free!" He leapt away with ease, one hand muffling the bells as he began weaving through the trees. His brow knit as his eyes wandered back to the silver-blond kunoichi-in-training. _A week into training and she can pull off a well-preformed, abnormally powerful C-rank jutsu?_ However, he did not have long to mull this over as he deftly swiped two kunai from the air between his fingers. "Katsu, wasn't it?"

"Correct, Naruto-sensei, so how goes it?" The blue-haired genin appeared, relaxing on one of the tree's thicker branches.

"Don't treat this like nothing, if you fail you are sent back to the academy," Naruto warned.

Katsu shrugged. "I'm not worried. The academy wasn't too bad, if you could tune out Iruka's lectures."

Naruto gave a bitter-sweet smile of reminisce. "Listen once, in a while, they mean something."

Katsu snorted.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "You honestly don't care?"

"Nah."

"You're worse than Shikamaru, not only do you have no motivation, but unlike him, you've got no brains."

"Is that so?" Katsu glared from the corner of his eye. "Then why have you fallen into my trap?"

"Your trap?" Naruto looked down at himself, only to see the faintest glimmer of a string. He followed the trail of reflected light to a number of kunai's with tags on their ends

"While you were lecturing me, I thought I'd toss a couple of kunai. Move an inch and you'll set off the exploding tags," Katsu explained offhandedly.

"Exploding tags?" Naruto demanded. A genin shouldn't be able to get his hands on exploding tags.

"Just hand me a bell and I'll disable them."

"I have two, wouldn't you rather I toss you both so you could give one to you're a teammate?"

"No, I've worked for mine, they can work for theirs."

"Hn, in that case . . ." Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke, then reappeared behind the suddenly tense Katsu, hovering his kunai above Sasuke's student's neck.

"I might just have to send you back, maybe make you listen to those lectures. My sensei once said, 'those who don't take care of their friends are worse than trash', and I abide by this to the fullest extent.

"Oh, and don't think I'd fall into a trap like that, such an amateur one."

Katsu didn't reply, he was frozen in fear, sweat dripping down the side of his jaw.

Naruto laughed. "I won't hurt you, coward, but you won't be moving. I believe another set of strings has somehow found it's way around your ankles, and into the tree." He gave a huge smile. "Train hard now!" and was off once again.

Naruto circled the clearing from the trees a number of times before he found Sasuke locked in combat with Ayami. He nearly choked on his breath as the genin landed a single strike on the underside of the Uchiha's arm. However, upon closer inspection, Naruto found it wasn't as serious as it first appeared to be. First, it was obviously the first hit landed. Second, Ayami was almost at her limit of using her Byakugan, obvious due to the intense sweat dripping from her face, and her labored breathing. Third, Sasuke wasn't using his Sharingan. And finally, he was smirking.

Naruto decided to watch, sitting back against the tree and its limb, giving a crooked smile.

Ayami was graceful in her fighting, even when she was so close to being drained of chakra. Each obvious attack was more graceful than the swoop of an eagle. Every subtle undulation of movement was like a water's ripple. In all, it was as though she were dancing through her gestures of internal destruction, those native to the Hyuuga clan.

Not only this, but her eyes, even under their already intense state of Byakugan, where determined. She had one goal, and one goal only.

"Come on, Ayami, don't you want to pass?" Sasuke taunted. She grunted and landed a second hit in the same spot on the opposite arm. Sasuke recoiled a moment, then swiftly sidestepped her as she charged straight for his centre. He struck the side of his hand to the nape of her neck. She inhaled with a sharp gasp.

"Don't you want to win?" he whispered as she fell onto her front. She struggled to her knees again, but, to Naruto's dismay, fell back to the ground. Aside from her back rising and falling, she did not move.

"Let's go, teme, we've still got one more to take down," Sasuke said from beside him.

* * *

(A/N: Well, this is my attempt at action.

Naruto: *cough cough* fail *cough cough*

Me: *Sakura punches* Shut up, baka, I didn't ask for your opinion! *glomps* Just kidding! Love ya Naruto! Anyway, I'd love feed back.

I wasn't all too pleased with the encounter of Katsu, but I tried my best. I don't want to just recreate Team 7 in a genin team again, even though at times you'll see similarities, I promise they're not the same people! As of now, it may seem like I've created another Shikamaru, but Katsu's a much nastier person, while Shikamaru's just awesome. ((Love Shika!)) So yeah, tell me what ya think! Thanks for reading!)


	4. Chapter 4

"Who'd you take care of?" Naruto asked as they leapt through the trees.

"Ayami and Hideki, you got Kumari, Raito, and . . . ?"

"Katsu. I see what you mean by dedication issues."

"There's next to nothing aside from potential in him, sadly. So we've got Seiya left? You're his sensei, how do we take him down?"

"Avoid genjutsu, opt for your kuton, or taijutsu. Keep it around C-rank, he's skilled, but not overtly so," Naruto replied, focusing on the path ahead. "If I know him well enough after five sessions, we've got to get closer to the clearing, he'd be behind the inner ring of the surrounding trees."

Sasuke nodded, and they slowly spiraled towards the inner circle, finally pinpointing their target, the black-haired genin, assuming a fighting stance upon spotting the mentors.

"Oi, Seiya! Where were you while Kumari and Raito were getting beaten?"

"Right here," the genin replied.

"Now why would you sit and watch your teammates loose, without so much as offering words of encouragement?" Naruto looked down at his pupil from the branch he now rested on.

"I want a bell."

Naruto shook his head. "I guess everyone makes this mistake."

"Dobe, don't act like you didn't!"

"Oi, you did too!"

"Didn't say I didn't!" the Uchiha retorted.

"Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he watched the flying kunai stab his companion in the upper arm.

Before a howl could escape the raven's mouth, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Naruto turned a devious grin to his pupil. "Gotcha," he muttered as the real Sasuke burst from the tree next to Seiya, pinning him to the ground.

"Go Naruto," Sasuke muttered. Naruto nodded and leapt, bringing his chakra to his palms.

He was but inches away when something barreled into his side, knocking him into a tree. Winded, surprised, and with a short-lived, but sharp pain in his side, Naruto looked up curiously to see a seething, panting Kumari.

"Kumari?" he asked, bewildered.

She turned away from Naruto and tackled Sasuke off of Seiya. _Kumari!_ Naruto was as pleased as he was surprised. Not only had she fought her way out of Naruto's entrapment (he noted the scratches and bruises around her wrists), but she was doing the right thing, helping her teammate, as well.

"Go, Seiya!!" she shouted, just before Sasuke knocked her back with a kick to her gut.

"Kumari-chan, go away! I can do this alone," Seiya sent her a look that wasn't as harsh as expected, but he did charge at Naruto, as Kumari had advised. He dodged his student's attack with ease, and retaliated with a spin kick. Seiya's back arched as he hit the ground.

"Nani?" he heard Sasuke mutter. He followed the jonin's gaze to Kumari. Physically, nothing had changed about her; however, he felt his pulse skip as he was met with her chakra signature. She was angry, angry enough to begin loosing reason.

Naruto cursed under his breath. He first had to take care of Seiya. As the genin charged again, Naruto leapt in the air, pushing an arm down on Seiya's shoulder. "Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu!" he pushed his pupil into the earth.

Seiya glowered at him, but Naruto didn't have the time to respond, he was speeding to the side of his friend, facing his silver-blonde student.

"I see what you meant," Sasuke muttered.

"This is the worst it's ever gotten."

"How many times has it happened?"

"This is the third," he replied. "Get her down on the ground, we'll go from there."

Sasuke nodded, and nearly instantly disappeared.

Kumari's eyes darted around, searching in ill temper for the jonin. Her stance widened, becoming more offensive. She cast off a number of random jutsus, perfectly preformed C-rank ones, and even a skilled B. Each came dangerously close, but failed at the last moment courtesy of years and years of training.

"Kumari!" Naruto called.

The kunoichi did not verbally respond, but her eyes met his. "Kumari," he repeated. "What's wrong?" he tried to sound firm.

Her grey eyes narrowed into thin slits, glinting like silver. Sasuke appeared right behind her, locking her neck between his fore and upper arm. She began struggling. Naruto feared for both of them, Kumari's power was growing exponentially, but Sasuke wasn't weak, and his grip was becoming tighter and tighter.

Naruto was near panic, his eyes growing wider. He bolted for Kumari, who was preparing to strike Sasuke's rib cage. He pulled Kumari out of Sasuke's hold. She hit his left shoulder with the strike meant for Sasuke. He winced, but quickly maneuvered around her, grabbing her wrists and pulling them up behind her back. He buckled her knees with a quick lash of his own. He yanked her arms farther up as she went down, a painful gasp choking out of her throat. Still she fought him, and he instinctively began creating one-handed signs, then pressed his fingers to the back of her neck. She gave an agonizing shriek, then dropped her shoulders.

She panted a few moments. "I-I-I'm sorry," she gasped.

He released his hold on her, and she brought her arms in front of her, holding up her torso. "I'm sorry," she repeated again and again.

He knelt on one knee beside her. "It's alright."

She shook her head. "Did I . . . hurt anyone?" she didn't look at him, her expression blocked by a curtain of fine blonde hair.

"No, you didn't do much damage."

"I'm so sorry," she repeated.

Naruto heard a faint ding go off somewhere. "Come on now, time's up. Go with Seiya to the meeting ground of the clearing, Sasuke and I will get the others and meet you both there very soon," he instructed gently, half watching her, half watching Sasuke retrieve Seiya from the earth.

The dark haired pupil did not meet the eyes of either Shinobi as he approached. "Let's go," he muttered under his breath to Kumari. She stood up and followed him. Naruto watched for a moment as his students trudged dejectedly off towards the meeting grounds, awkwardly, cautiously, Seiya wrapped his arm around Kumari's waist. His spine stiffened as she draped an arm over his shoulder for support

"Someone's ears are getting a little . . . _sunburned_," Sasuke snickered.

* * *

(A/N: OK then, chapter 5 will be up sooner than this on was, sorry for the wait. Anyway, there will be more depth given to Kumari's power, so it's not going to just be there. Seiya seemed a little mean, but he's really just got a smart mouth, he's OK deep down *evil cackle* eventually I will ask you which pairing you like best with the genin (there will be one or two tops! It's not a story where everybody ends up with their perfect match! I'm not Disney!) but I need to give depth first. Anyway . . . so tell me what you think! I love comments!

Oh, and if you think Sasuke is a little OOC, sorry, but I figure eight years in the future surrounded by his old team and the people that care about him the most, he might let go a little more, not that he's about to go skipping through some random field of daisies and sing broadway's greatest while chasing butterflies *snicker*. No, just a little more relaxed and less swallowed in darkness, still our angsty little Uchiha, but . . . well, not better, but cooler.)


	5. Chapter 5

"Naruto! Get your lazy ass moving, we've got some students to free up!" Sasuke shouted to the blond jonin. Naruto turned around and followed his friend. They first stopped to take care of Ayami.

"Ayami, are you alright? I didn't hurt you too badly, did I?" the Uchiha asked upon finding her struggling onto her knees. She looked up to see the best friends, side-by-side.

"No, I'm fine Sasuke-sensei," she sounded cheerful, and her eyes sparkled with awe upon the two senseis. "You're both incredible ninja," she noted. Normally it would have sounded like a kiss-up statement, but she stated it so matter-of-factly, Naruto was actually flattered.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asked, crouching down to her level.

"Fine."

"Can you walk yet? I might have shaken your spinal chord a little more than I should have," he noted.

"I'm not sure, I just picked myself off the dirt."

"Hn," Sasuke inspected her quickly. "Then I doubt it. You won't mind if I carry you back then, right? Time's expired."

"Oh," she looked slightly disheartened, but shook her head. "No, I wouldn't mind. How did everyone else do? Are they alright?"

Naruto and Sasuke held up their bells to indicate no one had gotten one.

She looked confused for a moment, then realization snapped in. "No, I mean are they all alright? No one got hurt, did they?"

Naruto swore he saw a small smile twitch at the corner of Sasuke's mouth. "Yes, everyone's fine, but we've got to get them all free, and since Sasuke will be carrying you, you'll see soon enough how this all ended. Let's move."

Sasuke lifted Ayami by slipping a hand through her knees and just below her shoulder blades, following Naruto's lead.

They proceeded to release each of the other genin, and return to the meeting ground, where Sasuke placed a slightly shaky Ayami on the ground.

None of the genin met their senseis' eyes.

Sakura, her genin, and Kakashi trailed up behind the senseis, curious looks on their faces. "Well?" one of Sakura's genin probed. Sasuke and Naruto held up their bells a second time.

Sakura had to nearly tackle her genin as they were about to either spoil or tease. Kakashi said nothing, but Naruto swore he saw a smirk beneath the silver haired ninja's mask.

Sasuke sighed. "We need more stumps," he noted in an almost bored tone. He closed his eyes; Naruto took his cue and directed all the students, Sakura's included, away. Sasuke had requested of Naruto and Sakura on the day before the teams were assigned, that neither of them speak of or allow the genin to see his Sharingan.

"_Why?" Naruto asked._

"_I figure some things are best kept a secret," Sasuke said coolly, digging his hands into his pockets._

_Naruto didn't ask again, though he continued to regard his friend with confusion._

"_A few reasons. I don't want to explain the Mangekyou, first off." A bit of an awkward silence ensued. "I'd rather not scare them off, secondly, and thirdly," the Uchiha smirked a little. "They'll find out when the time is right."_

"Mokuton no Jutsu," Sasuke muttered, forming the seal in a flash. Four more wooden stumps shot up from the ground. Sasuke blinked again, deactivating his doujutsu. Sasuke was rather lousy at said jutsu, as the Sharingan was not meant to capture bloodline limits in its vast library of techniques, but he'd studied enough from Yamato to find the basic concept of the wood-element jutsus; enough to pull up a few logs at least, so far. The Council had been reluctant to allow Sasuke, ex-traitor of Konoha, to try and learn such a secret, powerful technique, but, as Yamato had pointed out, he was headed back to ANBU, and Naruto rarely went on a mission sans-Sasuke, that one could never be to careful when it came to the Kyuubi. And so the Council was backed into a corner, and forced to allow it.

"Sensei," Raito commented when their view had been unblocked, "there are more than enough posts."

Sasuke's dark eyes continued to stare at his pupil, waiting for him to say something else.

Naruto intervened. "Two of them are for Sasuke and I to watch you from, two are for securing genin, and one genin gets to eat lunch."

Twelve eyes all shot to the blond jonin. "One?" Hideki asked.

Naruto nodded. "We might have five angry genin once we announce this, but Kumari will not be moored to the wood."

Kumari's eyes widened in surprise. "Me?"

"Hai."

She regarded him warily. "Why?"

"Would you prefer to be tied up?"

"No," she answered quickly. "But, I don't understand why."

"Simple, you opted for team work."

Six silent Shinobi stared at their senseis. "What does that have to do with the bells?" Seiya finally asked.

Naruto gave a crooked smile. "Perhaps I should allow a different shinobi to explain this. Kakashi?"

"Imagine this bell exercise was a retrieval mission. Would you have failed the mission? Yes. Why? Simple, Shinobi are put into cells for a reason other than just to annoy their teammates," he shot a look to this former students who had all developed an intense fascination with the sky. "As shinobi, you must place your team above personal gain, because you pass or fail as a team, whether you want to be a part of that team or not. If you don't learn this, you will be faced with an impossible choice at one time or another. May I, Sasuke, Naruto?"

The jonin nodded, fighting back smiles. In an instant, Kakashi had vanished, and reappeared holding a kunai in each hand, pressed to the throats of Seiya and Raito. "Kumari, Ayami, kill Hideki and Katsu or these two die," his voice was grave, and his gaze was hard, obviously frightening the genin. Neither of the kunoichi moved, and Kakashi brought the kunais just that much closer to their teammates necks. Raito and Seiya began sweating. "Now!" he shouted. The girls remained frozen.

Kakashi threw Raito and Seiya to the ground. "That is what happens when you don't work as a team. You'll have to make an impossible decision

"In this exercise, the goal was to retrieve the bells from Sasuke and Naruto, but the lesson was to work as teams. A successful group would have focused on the task at hand before their own lunch; in other words, you would have worked as a team to get all the bells, then divided them up amongst yourselves, even if the numbers weren't sufficient to feed all of the team. Understand?" Kakashi swept his gaze over all of the students.

Six curt nods followed. Kakashi straightened up, satisfied. "Well, then, I believe it is lunch time for the one genin who showed team devotion."

"Gotta love how Kakashi-sensei repeated it almost word for word," Naruto chuckled under his breath. Sakura placed a hand over her lips, and the corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched in amusement.

"Hasn't he come up with new ways to explain it? I mean, what the hell does he do in his spare time? Not like he has a life," Sakura giggled quietly, but threw a fond look at their sensei. "Have to admit, though, he's damn good at scaring the crap out of them," she noted.


	6. Chapter 6

Gah! I'm really sorry this took so long to get up! I've really got to pick up the pace because, despite what you probably think, this story has an entire plot line, so I have to get it moving. Just a warning, though, POV changes in this story, switching between Third person Naruto, First person Kumari, this single chapter of third person Kumari, and an occasional third person Sakura. I'm really sorry because it will seem a little choppy later on, but I absolutely could not write well with Kumari's third person POV, so it switches to first. Anyway, I'll be posting more frequently, trying to get this story moving along. Feedback is appreciated, enjoy!

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke sat perched on their stumps, meditating. Sakura, her genin, and Kakashi had all retreated to their far away spectating area. Kumari discreetly looked at each of her fellow genin, all of who were staring at their feet, embarrassed and ashamed. She glanced at her lunch and her stomach churned. She felt sickly guilty.

Sasuke and Naruto had told the lot of them that they would receive a second chance to succeed after the lunch hour. Kumari was not looking forward to this. She was scared of what might happen if she was caught in combat again, as well as feeling immense guilt.

"Naruto-sensei?"

"Hm?" her sensei did not make any physical inclination towards her.

"Kakashi-sensei just asked for you and Sasuke-sensei to follow him, he went into the woods," she lied.

"I didn't hear him," he replied, though she swore her sensei and the raven-haired one shared a glance through the narrowest slits of their eyes.

Her stomach knotted. "He didn't speak, he just motioned to me to send for you." She was instantly grateful the silver-haired jonin had in fact disappeared into the woods, though he had not asked for his students to follow.

"Shall we go, then?" Naruto began to stir, standing up on his log with perfect balance.

"I guess so," Sasuke stood up as well, and the two senseis shot off into the woods.

"Here," Kumari offered her lunch to her fellow genin. "I'm not hungry, and judging by what Naruto-sensei and Sasuke-sensei said, it'd be better if all of you had a little lunch instead of me having a big one."

Somewhere in the forest, three jonin smiled to themselves.

"I think they got the hang of it," Sasuke smirked.

"We passed?" Ayami repeated after her sensei.

Sasuke nodded. "You all passed."

"And how is that exactly?" Katsu asked.

"Well, you disregarded our rules of who eats," Naruto stated simply. "Putting the team before the rules. Like we said, that's what this training is all about."

Naruto smiled to himself as the genin all glanced suspiciously at their teachers. _Probably think we're insane, all the tricks we've pulled, _he laughed to himself. "You're all dismissed. We'll see you tomorrow." Each of his genin reluctantly inclined their heads while Sasuke's gave him a full bow. Naruto considered holding Kumari back, but bit his tongue as she left, though his eyes followed her every move.

"What do you think it was?" Sasuke appeared by his side, joining his friend in watching the last of her silver-blond strands turn the corner after her.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "But before she appeared with Seiya, she pulled off a B-rank jutsu with absolutely flawless technique, one I know she never learned, too. She could have faired an A-rank, and in the latter attack, had we not calmed her down. It would have been shaky, but she could have done it."

"I saw," Sakura came up on his other side. "And I must agree with Naruto."

"We have to find out what this is all about," Naruto agreed.

"You'll speak with her?" Sakura turned her gaze to him.

He nodded, and gave a slightly melancholy smile. "Who better?"

Neither Sasuke nor Sakura said a word, however they did exchange a glance of something between worry and pity.

Naruto instantly brightened, as per usual. "Come on, dinner on me tonight, then I hear Tsunade-sama's going to be calling!" he started off waving back to his friends, indicating they should follow. One with an amused smirk and one with a broad smile, Sasuke and Sakura started after Naruto.


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, really sorry this one took so long to put up, but it just wasn't cooperating with me. I still and not a hundred percent happy with it, and if you don't understand the mission, don't worry, it'll get cleared up in the next chapter or two. Anyway, enjoy! And yes, the last couple of paragraphs are just corny, but I LIKE corn! It's yummy, so bleh, haha.

* * *

The lightheaded good mood from dinner was instantly sobered. "What!?" Sakura demanded, slamming her hands down on the Hokage's desk.

Tsunade sat with her eyes closed, fingertips pressed together in front of her face. "It's true."

Sakura looked back over her shoulder at Naruto in worry. He stood rigid, his eyes wider than she'd ever imagined they could be, his jaw tight, knuckles turning white from the amount of pressure her was applying to his fisted palm.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Tsunade whispered. "I thought you should know."

Naruto did not move, did not breathe.

"I wanted your opinion on who to send out," her voice was quiet and serious. She did not open her eyes, nor remove her fingers.

Naruto released his fingers from their fist, slackened his jaw, dropped his head, and closed his eyes. He remained this way for a moment, then bent his arm at the elbow, staring at his palm, now with a few slits of blood. "Konohamaru," he muttered.

"Naruto . . ." Sakura moved for him, but he turned away.

"Tsunade-sama, I want this mission."

The Hokage shook her head. "No, Naruto, you have your students, this is a B-rank mission. I can't allow it.

"How can you possibly consider giving anyone else in Konoha this mission?!" he shouted, enraged, turning on her, shoulders hunched hostilely.

"What choice do I have, Naruto?"

"Send me!"

"No!"

"Send me!

"NO!

Sakura watched as Tsunade dropped her fingers, opened her eyes narrowly, and slammed her hands down. With each word she and Naruto drew closer, angrier. Tsunade and Naruto were inches away, Naruto's eyes on the bridge between his monstrous side, Tsunade's eyes were pained but firm.

"I'm going whether you allow it or not," he warned her.

Sasuke suddenly intervened, pushing Naruto and Tsunade away from each other. "Naruto, you will not go without the Hokage's orders," he said evenly.

"Just you try and stop me!" Naruto shouted.

"Tsunade-sama, please allow us to take on this mission," Sasuke ignored Naruto.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, she hadn't expected Sasuke to ask this.

"Are you insane, Sasuke?" the blonde woman demanded.

"If you look through the files of missions throughout the years, I believe you'll find that the three of us," he indicated himself, Naruto, and Sakura. "Successfully completed an A-rank mission as genin, after having the same training stint as our current genin."

Tsunade was taken aback for a moment, but the harshness returned to her gaze as she spoke again. "Had Konoha been aware of the circumstances of said mission, you would never have even been informed of the mission, let alone assigned to it."

"Even so, we completed the mission."

"You nearly died!" she shouted.

Sakura admired how Sasuke didn't so much as flinch at this, let alone remove his gaze from the floor, nor his arms from keeping Naruto and Tsunade at non-lethal distance.

"That mission was one of the best things our team ever did, it brought us to our senses and forced us to work as a team. I would like to request again that we be assigned this mission."

"Shinobi shouldn't let personal connections tie up in their mission," Tsunade relied.

"This is often times true when the feelings are contradictory, however, when they are of devotion and determination, the scenario shifts. This feeling drives Naruto, as you know as well as anyone, he will not abandon the mission, nor will he turn back or give up."

"You could get hurt with such a large group," Tsunade was obviously searching for any reason to deny them the mission.

"When I said we, I meant Sakura-chan as well."

"No, the group is too large, nine genin and three senseis?"

"Sakura's genin are learning to be healing ninjas, correct?"

Tsunade nodded, her eyes narrowed.

"So far as I've heard, Yaminaka Ino does not currently have any students, due to the healing genin being a new program with limited resources. I doubt she would mind very much overseeing the training of Sakura-chan's students for a few days."

Kami knows what possessed her to speak, but Sakura nodded as she spoke. "This is true, I've spoken to Ino-chan. She has expressed disappointment in the lack of sign ups for healing ninja training, she had been hoping to be assigned a team."

Tsunade threw a betrayed look to her pupil. "I can't let you go, we don't know whether Konohamaru-kun left on his own accord or if he was taken, depending on the situation it could be too dangerous."

At this Sakura looked up at the Hokage, as she knew Naruto and Sasuke were doing as well. "Too dangerous?" she almost scoffed.

Tsunade looked absolutely furious. "Genin shouldn't be trusted with this kind of mission when there are plenty of jonin that are more than capable, if anything, maybe over qualified!"

"Tsunade-sama," everyone turned to a much calmer Naruto. He was clutching her necklace, making her draw back a little, the angry fire in her eyes died a little. "Please allow us to take on this mission. I know I'm responsible for my genin. I will protect them with my life, but I need to take on this mission," he had a glow of pain, frustration, and sadness in his eyes so powerful Sakura lost her breath. "Konohamaru. . . he's my little brother."

Tsunade instantly averted her gaze at the mention of little brothers.

"Tsunade-sama, please," he begged, his grip tightening on her necklace. "I'm begging you, let me—let us go," he waved his hand over the whole team seven. "I need to. Please."

Tsunade stared at his palm, clutching her necklace, then turned to Sakura. "Would you willingly relinquish your genin to the care of Yaminaka Ino for the length of time in which you'd be gone?"

Naruto turned his heartbreakingly pained look to her. She obviously had the choice to say no, but not in a million years would she when her friend was hurting like this. "Yes, I give Yaminaka Ino complete charge of my genin for the indefinite time period."

She turned to Sasuke and Naruto. "You _must_ protect your students by any and every means necessary."

"Hai," they replied as one.

She sighed. "I will assign this mission to teams twelve, and seventeen, their designated medical ninja being Haruno Sakura. You will depart from the South Gate tomorrow morning."

"Hai," the jonin replied, inclining their bodies in formal bows before exiting the main office of the Hokage.

Sakura watched Naruto from behind as he stalked forward. Sasuke reached forward to put a hand on his shoulder. Upon contact, the bond tried to shrug it off, but Sasuke kept a firm grip.

"Baka, don't try and walk away. I won't let you," the Uchiha warned

"I'm _so_ scared!" Naruto yelled, wheeling around to glare at his fellow jonin.

"We have to discuss –"

"I don't want to-"

Sakura knew it was her turn for peacemaking, as she broke in between them. "Both of you! Stop it now!" She addressed Naruto. "You can't let yourself get out of control before we've even made move on this mission. I understand that this mission means a lot to you, but don't you start blocking people out." Her attention switched to Sasuke. "Don't make him speak if he doesn't want to. I agree that he should talk, but that's not our place."

Both avoided her gaze. "This isn't going to be an easy mission, the location is already dangerous, and depending upon the situation of the mission, it could be even more so, with traps and such On top of that, we're in charge of six green genin. Even so, we have to remember one thing," she looked up, her green eyes powerful. "We're team seven, the greatest ninja in any village, right?"

Naruto and Sasuke stared at her for a moment and her cheeks began flushing.

"Yeah," they nodded.

"Well, then," she straightened up. "I suppose we should inform our genin."

Naruto stared at his feet a moment; Sakura could swear she heard him mutter, "What did I get them into?" But his doubt was so short-lived, she dismissed it, though not without a second thought.


	8. Chapter 8

Okaaaaay. Yeah, I know it took a long time, and I'm sorry, but I've been having technical difficulties lately. Really, I do apologize. However, I enjoyed this chapter. It is written in first person, narrated by Kumari. I hope you enjoy it too! Oh, and because of recent manga chapters, I'm aware that my story has strayed far from the possibility of being in some ways remotely cannon, but I started the story long before then, so I'm sticking to it.

* * *

"How was training today?"

Hell, I probably would have ended up killing someone if Naruto-sensei and Sasuke-sensei hadn't stopped me_. _"Fine."

"Your teammates?"

Well, Seiya's a cold-hearted bastard who thinks he's too good for my help, and Hideki just sits there, glaring at something no one can see. "Fine."

"Your sensei?"

Naruto-sensei? What does he know about me? What right in hell does he have to act like he understands me?"Fine."

"Well, that's good, why don't you-" Mother was about to slide a bowl onto the table when a knock came from the door. "What?" Mother asked under her breath as she answered the calling.

"Good evening, Mataki-san, is Kumari in?" I yanked my head around to see my teacher at the door.

Mother did not move. She was plastic, just like she always is.

"I'm sorry," he outstretched a hand. "Uzumaki Naruto, I'm Kumari's sensei."

I could see the disdain in my mother's movements as she awkwardly gripped Naruto's hand. "Uzumaki-san," she said with false warmth. "Hai, Kumari is right in the kitchen, did you need a word with her?"

"If I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, of course not. Kumari!" she called, but I was already at her side.

"I'll be back in a little," I muttered, not meeting her gaze, which I felt blazing on my shoulders. I bowed a little to Naruto. "Sensei," I mumbled, and walked briskly out of the door. "What?" I asked, digging my hands into my pockets.

"Well, a few things. We've got a mission tomorrow."

"And? We're ninja, that's our job. Doing useless crap for people who could do it themselves but are too lazy."

Naruto smirked. "This is an B-rank mission, one that could even be bumped to an A-rank."

My eyes shot up to my sensei. "Really?"

"Hai." I swore I saw his eyes flash over with sadness for a moment. "But more importantly, I need to speak with you about today. Do you know what it was?"

"No," was my automatic response. "I don't know anything about it," I lied.

"Hn," he responded, giving me a disbelieving look over.

"Why is it important?"

"Well, Kumari, I know you're not going to be completely comfortable with me saying this, but I know."

". . . " I waited for him to continue. "Know what?" I finally prodded.

"_That_ feeling."

I felt my eyes stretch their borders as my gaze met his, far above my head.

He nodded sagely. "The fifth edited and reinstated the law of unmentionable things, so I doubt you've ever heard this but there's a reason you're mom isn't all too fond of my being your sensei."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, in total denial.

"Oh, cut the crap, Kumari. Anyway, I was saying something."

"Unmentionable law?" I said flatly.

"Right. Let's see, how should I put this? Oh, okay, I've got the world's most powerful, most demonic, and most evil monster locked inside me. There, how was that?"

I blinked, halting in my pace. He gave a half smile. "Yeah, that happens when people find out. Anyway," he looked straight into my frozen eyes. "I want to help you control this. I've had the same feeling. You can't control any aspect of your mind or body. The beast takes over."

I did the only thing I could think to do: I nodded.

"You don't need to talk about it any more than you want to, but I'm willing to help you." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well then, I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Naruto-sensei!" I called instinctively.

"Kumari?" he turned back around.

"It's called Bloodlust."

"Is it a kekkei genkai?" his voice was quiet as he spoke to me.

"Yes, native to the Mataki family. I'm the first one to have it in four generations," I admitted. "I don't know much about it. My parents and grandparents are ashamed of it, and there are no more living members with the trait. I know it opens up knowledge of almost any and every jutsu ever created or discovered. But-" I grabbed the back of my neck.

"But what?" he came a little closer.

"It hurts. This mark comes up-" I lifted my hair from my neck, exposing the stinging, burning tattoo-like mark. "And it hurts. It still hurts right now, but I can just grin and bear this pain. The Bloodlust comes from it, I can tell. The irrational thoughts and need to fight and break things and hurt other things comes from it."

He examined the canvas of my neck, careful not to touch the mark or any close surrounding area. "Have you ever seen what it looks like?" he asked.

"No," panic crept into my voice. "Why?"

He chuckled. "Just curious," he regarded it a moment more, then shook his head. "Right now, I can't say definitely how you should begin to control it, or even to make it stop hurting, and I'm sorry about that, but I'll find a way," he assured me with a smile. "But you will need to put a certain amount of trust in me, if you're willing."

I was taken a bit by surprise. I released my hair and looked up at him.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head and glanced around. "Kakashi-sensei would have my head for this, but . . . alright, I'm not trying to spill everything on you at once, but my teaching style isn't being a sensei. It is to be a teammate. I want you to rely on me to protect you, and as such, I expect dedication from you. It sounds a little different, I know, but," he gave a huge grin. "Ask around, I think you'll find I've taught a few people a few things."

Instantly, gratitude flooded through me. "Naruto-sensei, I'm sorry I've been disrespectful to you, you are my sensei and I shouldn't have been nasty to you."

"It's alright. Team twelve seems to operate this way so I go along with it. "

I bowed to him, deeply this time, grateful for his quirky wisdom. "See you tomorrow?"

"South Gate at sunrise!" He called as he began leaping through the rooftops of Konoha.

I walked home with the broadest smile I'd worn in a long time.

In the shadows of buildings on either sides of the street, a pair of green eyes and a pair of grey eyes met, narrowing upon encounter. Each stole one last glance at Mataki Kumari, then vanished without a sound.


	9. Chapter 9

"Sasuke! Get your ass out here! You're late!" Naruto shouted, banging on the Uchiha's door.

"Idiot, I'm never late," Naruto spun around to see a fully ready Sasuke leaning against the short wooden fence of the Uchiha compound.

Naruto sighed. "Let me guess, you've been there the past fifteen minutes, thoroughly enjoying watching me shout my lungs out at an empty house."

"Catching on to me, are you?"

Naruto ignored him. "Come on, Sakura and the students are already at the Gate," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets and turning away.

"How do you know that?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and tossed something over his shoulder to the raven. "This is a mission, how do you think I know?"

"Hn," Sasuke replied, adjusting the earpiece. "We need to talk to Tsunade-sama, these transmitters are a little too girly for my taste," he slipped a finger underneath the necklace-like voice transmitter and tugged a little.

"Suck it up, wimp, real men can wear necklaces and still be manly," Naruto teased, exiting the home, Sasuke behind him.

"Well, that rules you out, you're almost a girl _without_ the necklace! With it, heh, you're girlier than Sakura."

"You-!"

"NARUTO, SASUKE!!!" Sakura's furious voice exploded in their ear, causing them to physically react to the noise.

"Sakura-chan! Turn your volume down!" Naruto complained, rubbing his ear.

"GET YOUR ASSES HERE NOW! I CAN HEAR EVERYTHING YOU SAY, AND NOW I'M GONNA DRIVE YOUR SEXIST FACES INTO THE GROUND! ON TOP OF THAT," she added, "YOU'RE LATE AGAIN!"

Naruto and Sasuke shared a suffering glance, then leapt to the rooftops and sprinted to the South Gate.

"Sasuke-sensei!" two of Sasuke's genin waved to him, calling out in bright voices. Even Katsu looked a little livelier. Naruto grumbled and Sasuke smirked.

"Naruto-sensei!" Naruto looked up in curiosity to see Kumari smile hesitantly, but genuinely.

"What?" Naruto heard Sasuke mutter under his breath. "I could have sworn that Kumari-chan hated him yesterday."

"One at a time, but they'll all learn soon enough," Naruto grinned to himself. "Oi, Kumari!" he called in greeting, just before landing a few meters away.

" . . . Naruto . . . !! " Naruto's spine stiffened as he heard Sakura's looming voice from behind him.

"S-Sakura-chan! It's not my fault! _Someone_ decided it would be fun to watch me yell at a door for fifteen minutes straight," he glared at Sasuke, who simpered into the green collar of his vest. His eyes wandered back to the petal-haired kunoichi. She held her angry gaze for a moment longer, but let it melt into snicker.

"Was it funny?"

"I swear he was about to break down the entire house, not just the door. Although just to spite it, he might have burned the door."

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and frowned as his best friends enjoyed his humiliation.

"Hm, from what I've seen and heard, Naruto-sensei shouldn't be a sensei," Naruto caught the slightest sound of Seiya whispering to Kumari.

"You've heard completely wrong then!" she replied defensively. Affection for the genin drew up the corner of Naruto's mouth. "And as for what you've seen . . . get your eye sight checked!"

She flipped her hair as she snubbed the green-eyed genin, brushing past him with superiority, striding up beside her sensei.

"Kumari . . ."

She shrugged. "You're my sensei, whether Seiya-kun thinks you're worthy or not."

" . . . Arigato," he smiled down at her.

"Oi! Sasuke, Sakura, I'm not waiting for you!" he called over his shoulder, completely serious. His gaze was determined, set on something far away, bending down to be ready to spring into the forest.

Both jonin sobered immediately. "Hai, let's go," Sakura agreed, assuming the same position.

"As if I couldn't catch you anyway," Sasuke copied both of them, even crouching on the same knee.

"Let's go!" Naruto roared, vaulting into the branches with incredible strength.

After a total of three seconds, Naruto could no longer keep his restrain, and drove far ahead of the group. The genin had been sprinting on the ground to keep up with their tree-hopping senseis, and were all surprised to see how much speed Naruto was gaining.

"Naruto! Don't waste all you're energy, we're hardly out of Konoha!" Sakura's voice came in his ear. Naruto replied with a grunt.

"Naruto, don't be rash," Sakura warned. "You-"

"Shut up Sakura-chan," Naruto growled into his transmitter.

"Come back here and say that to my face!" she challenged.

"Sakura-chan, I meant what I said to Tsunade-baachan last night. Konohamaru is my little brother. Stay out of my way," he warned her.

"Uzumaki Naruto, have you forgotten half of the point of this mission?" Sasuke's voice was cold and icy.

"There is no half of the mission, there's only one goal."

"Wrong as usual, moron. Our teams need to learn team work, do you deny this?"

Naruto did not respond, he just clenched his jaw.

"As I thought, now, as the greatest Shinobi team there ever was or will be, don't you think it might help if we set a bit of an example for our students?"

Again Naruto could not argue.

"Well then, slow down and come back with us, we aren't abandoning Konohamaru by staying with our students, who, I might add, have had too little training to keep up with half that pace."

Slowly, reluctantly, Naruto began to decelerate, and eventually fell in step with his team. Not a word more was spoken about thesubject. Naruto kept his jaw tight, forcing himself to focus on something other than the sluggishly slow pace set by the genin on the ground. Naruto could literally feel the growling beast inside him, begging to take over. He absent-mindedly clutched his stomach.

"Naruto-sensei?" Kumari asked, timidly looking up to him, bringing Naruto back enough to realize he was breathing laboriously, and had actually fallen behind the rest of the group. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to stop the nauseating tug at his gut, and his hand did not lift before Sasuke and Sakura turned over their shoulders to see this gesture.

"We're taking a break. Now," Sasuke stopped instantly upon seeing this, as did Sakura.

"Yes," she agreed.

"We've just started!" Naruto kept going.

"Naruto, stop now or we'll make you stop. And we _will_ stop you," Sasuke said calmly but ominously.

The jinchuuriki hesitated a moment, but did as told, leaping back a few branches to regroup with his teammates.

"We haven't been going long enough," he stated, trying to blink away any speck of red in his eyes before meeting with those of his friends.

"Incorrect, we've been going for nearly twelve hours. More proof of the fact we need to stop, you've lost sense of time," Sasuke sounded almost bored.

Confused, Naruto looked to the sky only to see a brilliant array of colors bleeding into one another. Half a sun sparkled over the western horizon. " . . . fine," he growled. "We'll break for the night." He dropped to the ground, balancing on the balls of his feet and one hand.

"I'll take Raito and Ayami to get fire wood, Sasuke-kun, you oversee camp-setup." Sakura was about to leave with Sasuke's students when she twisted her neck back around to look firmly at Naruto. "You rest," her eyes narrowed, obviously suspicious that he would do no such thing.

He growled menacingly under his breath but nodded.

She smiled and disappeared into the woods with Raito and Ayami behind her.

"Hn. Kumari, you make sure Naruto does as told," Sasuke ordered, throwing an extra glance to Naruto. "Everyone else, let's start setting up."

Naruto threw his head back against the tree under which he was slouched, forcing deep, calming breathes into his lungs.

"Naruto-sensei?" He lifted his head to find Kumari with a canteen in her hand, outstretched to him.

He took it and nodded, "arigato, Kumari."

She shrugged, and sat down in front of him on her knees. She turned her head away from him, a slight flush on her cheeks. "So, that's what you meant?"

He had to focus a moment, but then nodded. "Yeah." He gave a small, almost tired smile. "I really should listen to Sakura-chan. She knows what's best most of the time." He shifted his weight and began to get up. "I'm feeling better, might as well get up and do something."

"Naruto-sensei, you just said you should listen to Sakura-sensei, why don't you rest some?" Kumari reached out as his weight shifted uneasily.

He sighed, regaining his balance. "I guess I should, but I don't want to sit. I think I'll go speak with Sasuke about the mission at hand. Go help the others," he began walking away.

"Sasuke," he called, coming upon the dark haired Uchiha.

"Feeling better, dobe?"

"Yeah." Sasuke regarded the blond a moment, but this was all Naruto was willing to say about the subject. "What exactly are the specifics of this mission?" he asked.

Sasuke's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure, Sakura was the one to meet with Tsunade-sama. We'll just have to wait, though soon enough we might have to look for her, no one takes this long to find firewood."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm right here," Sakura said irritably, dropping in front of them.

"Who shoved a stick up your-" Naruto was silenced by a life-threatening look from the pink haired jonin.

"I've never known someone to nearly spear themselves four times while collecting firewood, Raito . . . Anyway," she stood up, her eyebrows knitting together. "Even Tsunade-sama doesn't know much. The mission is very vague. But Konohamaru is gone. There was evidence of a scuffle, broken windows, tables smashed, personal property destroyed, as well as a corpse. It is unidentifiable for many reasons. There was no obvious indication of what village said Shinobi was from. And . . . disturbingly enough there were no fingerprints, nor a . . . face."

Naruto blinked. "What?"

"The body didn't have a face," she repeated.

"As in . . . it was maimed?"

Sakura shook her head. "Well, he was maimed, but there were no facial features. No eye, nose mouth . . . nothing."

"Then why the hell did we get told to go to Hoshigakure? It's one of the most dangerous places there is!"

"You think we're going there for no reason?" Sakura snapped. "Hmph. There was a bingo book, very ripped and mutilated, but on one of the pages, Hoshigakure was scrawled in blood."

"Why would Konohamaru get taken there?"

"No one said he was taken," Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto clenched his fist. "Are you implying-"

"I'm not implying anything, but you can't rule out the possibility," Sasuke cut him off. "Anyway, Hoshigakure hasn't made news in such a long time, it's surprising this would be the place."

"Not when you think about it," Naruto corrected him. "The thing about the poisonous gases make for a perfect hideaway, assuming they could get their hands on gas masks, or if they had an extremely skilled wind element affinity. Though I have my doubts their affinity could be that strong. I could probably make it, but by the time I got there, I'd be so drained, I'd have zero chance of fending anyone off for more than a few seconds. Not to mention getting another person over there could possibly completely drain the user midway."

"Gas masks it is then," Sakura nodded. "This is a shady mission. We've got to watch the genin carefully."

"Hm," Naruto half-laughed.

"What?" Sakura demanded.

"You underestimate me, Sakura-chan. I always protect precious people."


	10. Chapter 10

"Kumari-chan?" I looked back to see Seiya rubbing the back of his head nervously.

"What?" I tried not to sound bitter.

He seemed to perk up. "Hey, I was just curious . . . as to why you defended Naruto-sensei so devotedly this morning."

I set down the jug of water I'd collected for the camp and faced him, still on my knees. "I spoke with him the other night, and he said a few things that made me think he was worth defending."

"He acts like such an idiot though," Seiya grumbled under his breath.

"Naruto-sensei? Yeah, he is quite the idiot, but he's also the kind of person who wouldn't care if he were murdered to save the life of someone close to him. I guess I've kind of come to respect him." A thoughtful smile perched on my lips.

"What he said was that powerful?"

"Well, I'm not sure if he'd said those words to anyone else, if they'd be as special, but they struck a nerve with me."

"What did he say?"

I turned away a little. "It's not my place to say. However, I can tell you this: he's smarter than he looks."

"Doesn't say much for him."

"Seiya!"

"Sorry! Force of habit!"

Surprisingly enough, I found this incredibly funny, and began giggling. "Where-where'd Hideki-kun go?" I asked once I'd caught my breath..

His eyes narrowed slightly, "I think he said something about checking the perimeter. He was planning on giving us a thirty-meter radius. He didn't leave too long ago, so he probably won't be back for about ten minutes, assuming he checks it three times, which I am betting he would."

I nodded at his logic. "Works for me. Help me with water and food security?"

"Uh, sure," he bent next to me and picked up the jug, I gathered up the empty one beside me and filled it in the river. While standing up, some of the water sloshed on to my clothes.

"Crap," I sighed, bending back down to refill the container. The frigid water turned my fingers red and stingy. Exasperated, I set the container down beside me and proceeded to warm up my fingers, pulling them into my fingerless gloves. "Gets cold at night out here," I noted, pulling my fists into core for extra warmth.

"Oh, you okay?" Seiya asked, leaning over my shoulder.

"What? Oh, yeah, just cold," I assured him.

"I've got a jacket back at camp you could borrow," he offered

I nodded in thanks.

"Here," I blinked as something red and soft dangled in front of my nose, tickling its tip.

"Hideki?"

"Wrap your fingers in this, I'll get the water," Hideki dropped the scarf into my lap, and picked up the water.

"You got back fast," Seiya noted, with narrowed eyes, his tone cold and emotionless.

"Hn. You don't expect enough from me," Hideki said in an equally cold tone.

I watched them glare at each other as she made a makeshift muff from the scarf. The evil glares that clashed between my teammates were so electrifying the hair on my neck stood on end.

I grunted as I got to my feet, both of them breaking eye contact with each other. "Let's get these back to camp before everyone's favorite sensei gives us a lecture."

"I'm not afraid of Naruto-sensei," Hideki laughed. "He's not all that great."

"Now you've done it," I heard Seiya mutter under his breath. I shot him a glare, and just to spite him, I disregarded Hideki's remark and began walking back towards camp. "Let's go, slowpokes!" I called over my shoulder. "It's gonna be dark soon!"


	11. Chapter 11

Sorry this took soooooo long. THere are probably still a few errors, but I will edit it again, I just wanted to get it up. I know it now sounds like Team Seven is stealing Kakashi's curriculum, but don't worry, he bugs them for it. And I KNOW it's not cannon anymore, but I'm writing it anyway. Reviews appreciated! Enjoy!

* * *

"All ready to set out then?" Naruto surveyed the camp, or lack there of. The students groaned painfully. "What are you moping about?"

"Please, teach us how to jump through the trees, running is too slow," Raito looked pleadingly at the senseis.

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances. Naruto sighed and brought his hands up and laced his fingers behind his head. "Well, that takes a long time-"

"Unless you're me," Sakura interjected proudly.

He glared at her. "As I was saying. That takes chakra control."

"We know, we know, we learned about it in the Academy, that's why we can make bunshin." Kumari sounded bored, or maybe more like disheartened?

"This is different. Tell you all what, today you'll be running for . . . let's say six hours, half of what we did yesterday, then we'll teach you chakra control," Sakura offered. Naruto's head snapped to her.

"We don't have that kind of time," his growl was hidden by cheers from the genin, but he knew Sakura had heard him.

He pulled her aside as the genin destroyed the last remnants of camp, leaving behind no trail. "We can't afford to cut our travel time in half! What are you thinking?" he demanded.

She brought her green gaze to his cerulean. "Naruto, this is not a retrieval mission, this is an investigation mission. Had it been retrieval, we wouldn't have had a chance at landing it. Investigations, this one in particular, are more lenient in time frames. Are you forgetting that training your students is in fact important?"

He was silent.

Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a look of deep understanding. "Naruto, do you care about your students?"

His breath caught in his throat. "What?" he asked in a quiet, disbelieving tone.

"Konohamaru is important, I get that, we all do, but so are your students. We have to teach them to work as teams, that includes their sensei."

He averted his gaze. "I . . . I understand."

"This is going to be one of the most hellish missions they endure. Some might even experience their first kill. You need to focus. You must remember how avidly Kakashi protected us. That's what this will take."

He sighed. "I know, I really do. It's just . . . hard."

She smiled. "The soon-to-be Great Rukodaime Hokage finds a mere B-rank mission challenging?" she laughed.

Naruto laughed. "It can't be helped," he chortled. "Let's go. And thanks, Sakura-chan."

She smiled brightly, her eyes closed in content, brushing a piece of hair back behind her forehead protector.

"Oi, Naruto, Sakura! Let's move!" Sasuke called in a bland voice, but Naruto knew him well enough to hear the faint smile that was being fought from his lips.

"Sasuke, let's make a bet," Naruto said once he caught up to his companion.

"I can beat you in anything, moron, what could you possibly bet against me in?" Sasuke smirked, giving a cocky tilt of his head as the jonin leapt through the trees above their pupils.

"I bet that my students can master the chakra control before yours."

"Good luck with that one. Katsu already has great control, and Raito, assuming I can get him to stay on his feet and not on his face, can master this in about three seconds flat."

"Well, I believe both of those present a challenge. You'll have to motivate Katsu somehow, and rather than three seconds, I believe it will take about three hours to keep Raito from doing face plants." Naruto mulled over Sasuke's words. "Don't you believe that Ayami-chan can do this?"

For a moment Sasuke acted as though Naruto hadn't asked a question, but he finally sighed. "I have no idea. She seems so driven, but I've yet to see anything real from her."

"What are you talking about? During the bell training she could use the Byakugan flawlessly, not to mention the gentle fist."

Sasuke closed his eyes briefly. "She also has the will and reason to succeed, but her physical strength is lacking. What you saw during the bell training was the result of one minute and twelve seconds of the Byakugan. I don't know if she can handle the physical strain of a shinobi."

"Bastard! You don't believe in you own student?" Naruto hissed under his breath.

"Don't say that!" Sasuke protested, a fairly pained expression staining his normally impassive features. "I do, and I want to think she will be a ninja, but if her body can't handle it, her body can't handle it."

"You never know, sometimes the weakest ninja can become strong with training," Naruto and Sasuke were surprised to see Sakura just behind them.

"Eavesdropping?" Naruto taunted.

Sakura ignored him. "I think Ayami-chan can handle it, don't underestimate her, she just needs some tough love."

Naruto and Sasuke regarded Sakura a moment, knowing this was a touchy topic close to her heart.

"Sakura, not everyone can end up like you," Sasuke said.

"Ayami-chan can! She's stronger than I was, not to mention equally as smart, and twice as determined!"

"Sakura, is she really stronger than you were?" Naruto's voice was quiet but firm.

Sakura glared at both of them. "You two can't always count out the physically weakest! She's a good person!"

"We know, Sakura, but that's not the issue. Can she handle it?" Naruto asked.

"She can do it, dammit! Why would you doubt that?!" Sakura glared at both of them.

"Sakura, we know you're plenty strong but-"

"It's not me, it's Ayami! She can do this, don't you _dare_ count her out!"

"Sakura, why are you so passionate about this?"

"Because being weak is the worst hell there is to endure. No one needs to go through that when I can help it."

"Sakura . . . " Naruto muttered, but she smiled in return to him.

"Just please, don't count her out."

Naruto smiled, and gave a thumbs-up over his shoulder. "Even so, my students will beat Sasuke's. Seiya and Hideki have incredible chakra reserves, and the motivation to win."

"What's their motivation?" Sakura asked curiously, innocently.

Naruto smirked in Sasuke-like fashion. "Watch them once in a while, you'll see." Behind him Sakura blinked and looked below her to the genin.

"Sakura, you haven't noticed?" Sasuke taunted.

She didn't respond immediately, instead she watched them for another moment, and smiled back up at Naruto. "I'm just surprised you caught on, you were never good with the opposite sex."

"Oi! I was plenty good with them! What are you-!" Naruto began but Sasuke cut him off.

"Look," he nodded to the sky. Naruto's gaze followed the Uchiha's dark one to the faint shadow of a messenger hawk. The jonin stopped.

"Yo, guys! Matte!" Naruto called, stopping the genin in their tracks.

"What?" Kumari called back, but paused to watch as Sasuke reached out an arm for the avifauna.

Naruto glanced over Sasuke's shoulder as the raven's eyes swiftly drifted across the paper. There was a moment of pure silence before Naruto exploded, stealing the paper away from his friend

"What!? Sunagakure?" He shouted.

"What is it, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"New orders from Tsunade-sama," Sasuke explained, stealing back the scroll. "We're to go to Sunagakure first, and search the surrounding area. On the corpse, they found some extremely complex clue that has narrowed down the location to either the outskirts of the Sand Village, or the Star Village. How in Kami's name Tsunade-sama could come up with that, I'll never know."

"She's a medical ninja, she has to be able to do that," Sakura noted.

"There's more. We are to stop where we are and wait for the other ninja platoon that was deployed to discuss plans," Sasuke added.

Naruto looked to the sky and gritted his teeth. Only three hours of travel, one fourth of the ground they'd covered yesterday.

"We've got no choice but to wait, Naruto, we might as well train them now anyway," Sasuke said, logically.

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, alright. Listen up!" he jumped down in front of the genin. "We've got a lot of time now for training, I'm expecting one hundred percent the entire time!"

"Naruto, you sound like Lee," Sakura giggled.

"Hey, he's a little out there, but he's got the right work ethic," Naruto winked at his pink haired friend, striking Lee's signature 'nice guy pose,' causing her to break into a fit of hysterics. He turned back to the genin. "Now-"

"Let me explain this, dobe, you'll just end up confusing them, not to mention yourself," Sasuke landed lithely beside Naruto. He scowled a moment, but subsided and allowed the Uchiha to go about explaining.

"This exercise is based on the control of the chakra you have within your body. You don't need incredible amount; instead, you need to be able to regulate the flow. As you have seen, this allows for safe travel through the tree branches, because the chakra focus is similar to a spider's legs, you can "stick" to the surface of nearly anything by doing this correctly. You've all seen us," he indicated himself, Naruto and Sakura, "walk on trees. That is how you'll train."

"How do you mean, Sasuke-sensei? Could you demonstrate?" Raito asked, curiously cocking his head.

"Well, you've seen it before, how should I demonstrate?"

"I dunno, show us _how_ we'll be doing it," he suggested. "Please," he added as an after thought.

Naruto and Sasuke instantly locked eyes and simultaneously ran at two trees side-by-side. It was second nature, now, for Naruto to summon the chakra to his feet, just as it was second nature for him to instinctively take a demonstration and turn it into a challenge against Sasuke. They perched on the tops at the exact same time, then lazily walked back down to their students.

"Beat you," Naruto muttered.

"You wish."

"Bastard."

"Obviously," Sasuke continued as the genin listened eagerly. "You won't be able to do this on your first try, so we want you to mark your progress with a kunai. Observe," he indicated Sakura, who ran a few steps up a tree, then leapt off, slashing the tree bark with a kunai.

She smiled upon hitting the ground. "Sasuke, you make it sound like it's impossible to make it on the first try," she said pleasantly.

"It is, isn't it?" Ayami asked curiously.

"Maybe for your senseis, but not for me!" she proclaimed brightly.

Naruto felt great dejection weighing on his shoulders, and he could have sworn he saw Sasuke's high-and-mighty pose falter just the slightest as the genin all giggled.

"Anyway," the Uchiha explained through clenched teeth. "This _is _a race, but not in the same way the bells were."

"How so then?" Hideki asked in a cold, calculating tone.

"Beat your teammates."

"Doesn't that revoke the lesson learned in the bell training?" Seiya asked, not to be outdone by Hideki.

"Well, alright then," Naruto added in. "Are you willing to admit you are inferior to everyone else here?"

"Hell no!" Seiya roared.

"Then beat them," Sasuke said simply.

The looks passing between the genin were between nervous and challenging.

"Alright then, begin!"


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Yay! New post! Anyway, I'm looking for a better title because . . . well frankly, 'Team Seven Senseis' just flat out sucks. Of course, it also happens that I came up with that title. So, through logical evaluation, it is able to be concluded I suck at creating titles. **SO **if my readers would be so kind as to make suggestions for new titles after reading, I would much appreciate it. The person I feel comes up with the best title will be able to request a one-shot from me with any pairings, characters, OCs, settings, etc. of their choice. I'll try my best with it. I'd like to thank everyone who's read and especially those who have reviewed my story. It's what keeps me writing and (hopefully) improving!

Oh, one last thing. I know that if this were "authentic" and all, it would use the metric system. Well, I apologize, but I'm terrible with the metric system, so I'm using yards, feet, etc. Again I'm sorry, but I'm terrible at math.

* * *

"Yo, Naruto, Sasuke!"

The jonins turned their heads skywards, spotting the silver-haired sensei with a hand raised in greeting resting on a branch above them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto smiled. "Found us already?"

Their former sensei dropped to the ground. "Yeah. How's the training going?"

"Look for yourself," Sasuke jerked his chin towards the six marked-up trees. Kakashi followed Sasuke's gaze, only to have his visible eyebrow arch in surprise.

"Chakra control?"

"Yeah, and thanks, by the way, what with the bell training and chakra control, makes for great teaching material," Naruto grinned.

"Copy-cats, stealing my material I worked so hard on."

"Kakashi-sensei, you can't use that insult when you're known everywhere as the copy ninja," Sakura laughed, approaching them. "Besides, bell training wasn't yours! Tsunade-sama told me plenty of stories about how the Third used it too."

"Ne, fine," Kakashi sighed. "So how's it going?" he indicated the six slightly mutilated trees with a jerk of his chin. "Who's winning?"

"Hideki," the three answered simultaneously.

"He only just passed Seiya though, and from the looks of it," Naruto regarded the dark haired genin, "Seiya is going to take another go."

In silence, the jonin watched the student run at the tree. His eyes burned with frustration and determination. "Eat shit, Hideki!" he shouted as his foot hit the trunk and he bolted up the bole, a faint blue glow pulsing through the soles of his feet. His mark fell just below Hideki's.

"Well we found the foul mouth," Kakashi muttered.

Naruto laughed "Tch, the first time we met he called me a talentless bastard, and Hideki something about five times worse!"

"He did his research on you," Sasuke didn't look at Naruto.

"Bastard! What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, Naruto," Sasuke smirked. "By asking that, you've only further proven my point."

"Just go die in a hole, Sasuke!" Naruto fumed.

Kakashi and Sakura watched in amused silence as the two men exchanged heated challenges and insults.

"Oi, both of you, cut it out, Seiya just passed Hideki," Sakura turned their attention to the students once again. In fact, Hideki's mark was a good ten inches bellow the freshest of Seiya's marks.

Naruto watched the glare pass between the boys, just before Hideki ran it again, only to fall just bellow Seiya. He scowled at his lack of improvement, then at his teammate.

"All right you two," Kumari said between pants. "Eat _this_!" she hurtled at the trunk, giving herself a small jump as she made contact. Her pace continued evenly as she passed the mark on Hideki's tree, then Seiya's. She was mere feet from the top of the tree when the bark beneath her feet snapped noisily. She pushed off, yanking her ninja weapon through the wood, then dropping a good many yards back down, landing surprisingly pristinely on her feet.

"Alright Kumari!" Raito applauded her as Seiya and Hideki stared at her with huge eyes, slight curiosity about them.

"OK, my turn!" Raito said, taking a wide stance as the chakra began to gather at his soles. "Come on, Katsu, race me!"

Katsu groaned. "I'm tired enough already, I don't want to race."

"Come on, please?"

"No. I hate to strain myself physically."

"I'll challenge you mentally later, I promise, and I'll win, but come on, race me!"

"You can't make a promise you can't keep," Katsu said coolly.

Raito raised an eyebrow. "No?" Naruto saw something of mischief flicker in Raito's eyes. "You don't think I'm a threat?"

"Not a threat, tch, you're not even a challenge."

"I doubt I'm as easy to beat as you think. Now, race me and we'll see who's smartest afterwards," Raito proposed.

Katsu rolled his eyes. "Fine, but I'll win both of the challenges."

"We'll see," Raito smiled.

"What do you think?" Naruto asked Sasuke.

"I think that Katsu underestimates Raito just a little too much. I don't know if Raito could actually beat him, but if Katsu gets careless, he'll be unpleasantly surprised."

The senseis watched as Katsu outran Raito by a good yard, almost meeting Kumari's mark. "Hmph, what'd I tell you?" he asked as he reached the ground, where Raito waited, pouting.

Raito's glower held a moment more, but soon dissolved into a good-natured shrug. "Not bad, Nishi."

"So, who's getting there first?" Kakashi asked.

"My vote stands for Katsu," Sasuke stated.

"I say Kumari," Sakura eyed the feathery blonde with approval. "She seems like she could kick some testosterone."

"You're betting on her because she's a girl?" Naruto asked.

"No, I'm betting on her because it's true. What about you, Naruto?"

Naruto swept his gaze over the six genin. "As much as I'd love for Kumari to knock some sense into them, I think it will either be Seiya or Hideki." He turned to Kakashi. "Who else was sent with you to meet us?"

"Anko and Neji heard the genin from a few hundred yards away, and decided to take guard from there."

"Hyuuga Neji?"

"No, Inuzuka Neji. Yes, Hyuuga Neji, idiot!" Sakura sighed.

"No need to be nasty, Sakura," Kakashi chided.

"Just curious," Naruto said, looking over to Ayami, who was glaring at her tree as though the ferocity in her glare would somehow make the flora shrink.

"Check it out, Seiya and Hideki are going at it again," Kakashi redirected Naruto's attention to his male students, who were indeed barreling at the trees. They matched each other step for step, breath for breath about three-fourths of the way up the tree, until Hideki's competition got the best of him, and he snapped the bark under his feet while Seiya kept running, turning his head away from his falling teammate.

The senseis watched in shocked silence. "He made it," Sakura finally breathed.

Sure enough, Seiya was perched at the utmost pinnacle of the tree, panting and sweating, but grinning broadly.

"Beat ya, bastard," he called breathlessly to Hideki, who stood seething on the ground.

The attention shifted to Hideki as he began to call out, enraged. "You-!"

"Seiya!" Kumari interrupted the focus, and all eyes flew up to the treetop again, only to find Seiya was not there.

Frantically, Naruto searched the air, finding Seiya tumbling down, eyes closed out of pure exhaustion. "Shit!" he muttered and snatched his student from the air in a single bound.

"Seiya!" Ayami called as she, Raito and Kumari raced to meet Naruto, his pupil gently cradled in his arms. Katsu took his good, sweet time walking behind the others, Hideki by his side, glowering at the ground.

"Is he alright, sensei?" Kumari asked, eyes darting over Seiya's exhausted form.

Naruto couldn't help but let slip the tiniest smile.

"He'll be fine, he's just used up a little too much chakra," Naruto assured them. He raised his head to the last rays of sun sinking behind the horizon. "Enough for today, you've been at it for nearly six hours, that's plenty."

"I'll take him," Sakura reached out and slipped Seiya from Naruto's arms. "Not much I can do for exhaustion, but I'll see to it that he's better soon."

"Thanks Sakura-chan," Naruto stood up. "Well, let's get camp set up. After that you'll finally get some down time."

He could feel four genin relax, but Hideki's shoulders remained tense. "Kumari, you and Hideki start getting the food ready, Ayami and I will start the fire, Raito, Katsu, you work on setting up camp." He figured he could do with giving Hideki a small bit of light in his dark, gloomy day. Not that the light knew that was her purpose.

Hideki raised his head from the ground, staring suspiciously at Naruto. His attention, however, was pulled away by a small yelp from Kumari.

"Uh, sorry," she muttered to her toes.

Naruto shrugged to her, and went in search of Sasuke and Kakashi.


	13. Chapter 13

Eh! Sorry for the wait, I was away, then I didn't have internet access for a few days after that. Anyway, this is a shorter chapter, but it gives some more depth to the students. I gave a description of Hideki in this chapter that I think isn't _too_ bad, but we'll see what you guys think.

* * *

"Oo-ow! Shit!" I hissed under my breath, nursing my sliced thumb in my other palm carefully. Great, now I had to throw away that damn carrot because my blood had contaminated it, _and_ I had to go and disinfect the knife.

For the third time.

"Kumari-chan?" Hideki, just returning from fetching water, leaned over to see if I was doing all right. "You okay?"

"Fine," I lied, hiding the thumb and carrot behind me.

He eyed me curiously with his stark eyes. "Kumari-chan?"

"I told you I was fine!" I raised my arms to wave them in front of me, slightly annoyed. "Ow!" I howled. Kami, I was stupid, letting go of the diced up thumb, and revealing the other two haphazardly bandaged fingers I'd managed to mutilate.

His eyes melted with concern upon seeing my hands. "Crap," I murmured.

"Kumari-chan, have you used a knife before?" he sounded genuinely concerned, not at all sarcastic.

" . . . "

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, allowing it to flop back down over his distinct eyes. He then pulled down his ever-present red scarf from his nose and mouth with his index finger. "Here, let me do this, you pour the water into the pot and set it over the fire."

I did as told quickly and efficiently, still feeling my cheeks burning from embarrassment. "Sorry, Hideki," I grumbled.

He laughed deeply. "Not a problem, but you're lucky I got back when I did, or you might have ended up loosing your whole arm."

I pursed my lips to keep from laughing.

"Here," he offered the cut up carrot to me. "What were you going to do to this?"

I froze up a moment, until I stiffly forced out my hand to take the tray of sliced vegetable. Not knowing what else to do, I dumped the cubes into the boiling water. A good amount of the water splashed back up and singed my forearms. I drew away with a snake-like hiss of pain.

Hideki cocked his head to one side for a moment, blinking in confusion. "You don't know how to cook, do you Kumari-chan?" he asked innocently.

" . . . I never got taught how," I admitted begrudgingly.

He nimbly began moving around the designated cooking area, adding this and mixing that, and soon enough the piquant scent was floating around us, making my stomach growl. "Smells amazing," I noted, watching him. He was indeed odd. His eyes were huge and grey. The long pupils reminded me of a cat, and they were always wide and alert. He was not much taller than me, and almost as slender. He lacked the distinctly broad shoulders that gave Seiya such an intimidating presence. His trademark red scarf hardly ever left his neck, and even less often his mouth. Just like his body, his jaw was slender and streamline. His hair fell in long spikes over his eyes, but I could never get past his curious eyes long enough to pay much attention to his brown locks.

"I promise it tastes even better," he smiled. It was the first time I'd ever seen him smile. His teeth were like rectangular pearls, and his oddly striking eyes narrowed ever so slightly as the corners of his mouth pulled up in the grin. It was a different sort of smile, but still a kind smile. The kind of smile a proud father would have.

"Where'd you learn to cook like that?" I inquired, slightly dazzled by his grin, momentarily dropping my guard. However, the instant I asked, the smile vanished, and he turned back to the pot with pursed, tense lips.

I blinked in confusion. In my typical far too apathetic fashion that I hated so, I asked: "What? Did I offend you?" Damn it! Why was I such an idiot?

His jaw tightened. "No, just . . . " he sighed, unable to finished the sentence.

"Just what?" Freaking mouth! Shut up! It was obviously something he didn't want to talk about.

"I've kinda had to learn how to cook, otherwise I end up eating nothing but crap."

I arched an eyebrow.

"Well, it's like this: my parents . . . just about hate each other, and spend most of their time arguing and fighting and breaking stuff, or away on missions. Which, wrong as it might sound, I like better, because I get some quiet."

My jaw slackened. "Hideki . . . I-"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't want pity. Pity is for weak people. I'm not weak, I can fight for myself," he declared. "But sometimes fighting includes cooking for me. Anyway . . . Don't tell Seiya, okay?"

I wasn't an idiot. I was overly blunt sometimes—most of the time, but I wasn't an idiot. I knew that Hideki and Seiya didn't like each other, and I knew neither wanted to be seen as weak or inferior by the other.

"I won't tell him," I promised with a smile. "If you'll let be taste this before anyone else," I bartered, with a slightly sultrier smile. Like I said, I wasn't an idiot. He handed me the spoon and mock-gallantly presented the simmering bowl before me. I laughed, and he smiled again before I took a taste.


End file.
